Opiniones de los Profesores Sobre Creatividad y Estudiantes Creativos

The purpose of this study is to determine the opinions of teachers’ regarding creativity and creative students. The data was collected through interview form prepared by researchers for this purpose. It was aimed to determine the teachers' views on creativity, creative student characteristics, activities that can be done in class to improve creativity, use of material in creativity and opinions about creative classroom environment. Qualitative research method was utilized using a semi-structured interview technique. Study group of the research consisted of 17 teachers working in both in the North Cyprus and in different regions of Turkey. Seven of them are classroom teachers, four are mathematics, three are science, two are electrical-electronics teachers and one of them is a biology teacher. The data obtained from the study were analysed through content analysis. As a result; teachers' creativity and creative student definitions focus on the concepts of 'difference' and 'originality' and there are many different methods that can be used to develop creativity in the classroom. It is important that the classroom environment that develops creativity is an environment where the student feels free and comfortable and material use is considered to be important.El propósito de este estudio es determinar las opiniones de los maestros sobre la creatividad y los estudiantes creativos. Los datos fueron recolectados a través de un formulario de entrevista preparado por los investigadores para este propósito. El objetivo fue determinar los puntos de vista de los maestros sobre la creatividad, las características creativas de los estudiantes, las actividades que se pueden realizar en clase para mejorar la creatividad, el uso del material en la creatividad y las opiniones sobre el entorno creativo en el aula. El método de investigación cualitativa se utilizó mediante una técnica de entrevista semiestructurada. El grupo de estudio de la investigación estuvo compuesto por 17 profesores que trabajaban tanto en el norte de Chipre como en diferentes regiones de Turquía. Siete de ellos son profesores de aula, cuatro son matemáticas, tres son ciencias, dos son profesores de electrónica y uno de ellos es un profesor de biología. Los datos obtenidos del estudio fueron analizados mediante análisis de contenido. Como resultado; La creatividad de los profesores y las definiciones creativas de los estudiantes se centran en los conceptos de "diferencia" y "originalidad", y existen muchos métodos diferentes que se pueden utilizar para desarrollar la creatividad en el aula. Es importante que el ambiente en el aula que desarrolla la creatividad sea un entorno donde el estudiante se sienta libre y cómodo y se considere importante el uso del material

Cisplatin, gemcitabine, and treosulfan in relapsed stage IV cutaneous malignant melanoma patients

To evaluate the efficacy of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and treosulfan (CGT) in 91 patients with pretreated relapsed AJCC stage IV cutaneous malignant melanoma. Patients in relapse after first-, second-, or third-line therapy received 40 mg m−2 intravenous (i.v.) cisplatin, 1000 mg m−2 i.v. gemcitabine, and 2500 mg m−2 i.v. treosulfan on days 1 and 8. Cisplatin, gemcitabine, and treosulfan therapy was repeated every 5 weeks until progression of disease occurred. A maximum of 11 CGT cycles (mean, two cycles) was administered per patient. Four patients (4%) showed a partial response; 15 (17%) patients had stable disease; and 72 (79%) patients progressed upon first re-evaluation. Overall survival of all 91 patients was 6 months (2-year survival rate, 7%). Patients with partial remission or stable disease exhibited a median overall survival of 11 months (2-year survival rate, 36%), while patients with disease progression upon first re-evaluation had a median overall survival of 5 months (2-year survival rate, 0%). Treatment with CGT was efficient in one-fifth of the pretreated relapsed stage IV melanoma patients achieving disease stabilisation or partial remission with prolonged but limited survival

BRAFV600E mutations in malignant melanoma are associated with increased expressions of BAALC

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Bachground</p> <p>Activating <it>BRAF </it>mutations are present in approximately 50% of melanomas. Although different downstream target genes of the most common mutant V600E have been identified, the contribution of activating <it>BRAF </it>mutations to malignant transformation needs further clarification.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Microarray gene analysis was performed for human melanoma cell lines harboring BRAF^V600Emutations in comparison to cell lines without this mutation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This analysis revealed a more than two fold down-regulation of 43 and an increase of 39 gene products. <it>BAALC </it>(<it>Brain and acute Leukaemia, cytoplasmatic</it>) was most prominently regulated, since it was up-regulated in mutated cell lines by a mean of 11.45. Real time PCR analyses with RNA from melanoma cell lines (n = 30) confirmed the <it>BRAF</it>-activation dependent up-regulation of <it>BAALC</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>BAALC</it>, which has been associated with cell dedifferentiation and migration, may function as a downstream effector of activating <it>BRAF </it>mutations during melanomagenesis.</p

Exploring patterns of recurrent melanoma in Northeast Scotland to inform the introduction a digital self-examination intervention

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Gut microbial species and metabolic pathways associated with response to treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in metastatic melanoma

In patients with metastatic cancer, gut microbiome composition differs between responder and non-responders to immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, there is little consensus on the microbiome taxa associated with response or lack of response. Additionally, recognized confounders of gut microbiome composition have generally not been taken into account. In this study, metagenomic shotgun sequencing was performed on freshly frozen pre-treatment stool samples from 25 patients (12 responders and 13 non-responders) with unresectable metastatic melanoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We observed no significant differences in alpha-diversity and bacterial prevalence between responders and non-responders (P > 0.05). In a zero-inflated multivariate analysis, correcting for important confounders such as age, BMI and use of antibiotics, 68 taxa showed differential abundance between responders and non-responders (false-discovery rate <0.05). Cox-regression analysis showed longer overall survival for carriers of Streptococcus parasanguinis [hazard ratio (HR): 6.9] and longer progression-free survival for carriers of Bacteroides massiliensis (HR: 3.79). In contrast, carriership of Peptostreptococcaceae (unclassified species) was associated with shorter overall survival (HR 0.18) and progression-free survival (HR 0.11). Finally, 17 microbial pathways differentially abundant between responder and non-responders were observed. These results underline the association between gut microbiome composition and response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in a cohort of patients with cutaneous melanoma

S1-Guideline Cutaneous Angiosarcomas - Update 2021

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Temozolomide plus pegylated interferon alfa-2b as first-line treatment for stage IV melanoma: a multicenter phase II trial of the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG)

Background: Combination of temozolomide (TMZ) with nonpegylated interferon alfa is associated with increased efficacy in terms of response rates compared with monotherapy. A multicenter phase II study was carried out to assess the activity and toxicity of TMZ plus pegylated interferon alfa-2b (peg-IFNα-2b), hypothesizing improved efficacy due to modified pharmacokinetic properties of the novel interferon (IFN) formulation. Patients and methods: In all, 124 patients with stage IV melanoma without prior chemotherapy and no cerebral metastases were treated with 100 μg peg-IFNα-2b s.c. per week and oral TMZ 200 mg/m2 (days 1-5, every 28 days). Primary study end point was objective response, and secondary end points were overall and progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. Results: In all, 116 patients were assessable for response: 2 (1.7%) had a complete response and 19 (16.4%) a partial response (overall response rate 18.1%). Of total, 25.0% achieved disease stabilization and 56.9% progressed. Overall survival was 9.4 months; PFS was 2.8 months. Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 20.7% and grade 3/4 leukopenia in 23.3%. Conclusions: The efficacy of TMZ plus peg-IFNα-2b in this large phase II study is moderate and comparable to published results of the combination of TMZ with non-peg-IFN. Likewise, the safety profile of peg-IFNα-2b seems to be similar to non-peg-IFN when combined with TM

Dacarbazine and interferon α with or without interleukin 2 in metastatic melanoma: a randomized phase III multicentre trial of the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG)

In several phase II-trials encouraging tumour responses rates in advanced metastatic melanoma (stage IV; AJCC-classification) have been reported for the application of biochemotherapy containing interleukin 2. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of therapy with dacarbazine (DTIC) and interferon α (IFN-α) only to that of therapy with DTIC and IFN-α with the addition of interleukin 2 (IL-2) in terms of the overall survival time and rate of objective remissions and to provide an elaborated toxicity profile for both types of therapy. 290 patients were randomized to receive either DTIC (850 mg/m2every 28 days) plus IFN-α2a/b (3 MIU/m2, twice on day 1, once daily from days 2 to 5; 5 MIU/m23 times a week from week 2 to 4) with or without IL-2 (4.5 MIU/m2for 3 hours i.v. on day 3; 9.0 MIU/m2i.v. day 3/4; 4.5 MIU/m2s.c. days 4 to 7). The treatment plan required at least 2 treatment cycles (8 weeks of therapy) for every patient. Of 290 randomized patients 281 were eligible for an intention-to-treat analysis. There was no difference in terms of survival time from treatment onset between the two arms (median 11.0 months each). In 273 patients treated according to protocol tumour response was assessable. The response rates did not differ between both arms (P = 0.87) with 18.0% objective responses (9.7% PR; 8.3% CR) for DTIC plus IFN-α as compared to 16.1% (8.8% PR; 7.3% CR) for DTIC, IFN-α and IL-2. Treatment cessation due to adverse reactions was significantly more common in patients receiving IL-2 (13.9%) than in patients receiving DTIC/IFN-α only (5.6%). In conclusion, there was neither a difference in survival time nor in tumour response rates when IL-2, applied according to the combined intravenous and subcutaneous schedule used for this study, was added to DTIC and IFN-α. However, toxicity was increased in melanoma patients treated with IL-2. Further phase III trials with continuous infusion and higher dosages must be performed before any final conclusions can be drawn on the potential usefulness of IL-2 in biochemotherapy of advanced melanoma. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Serologic and immunohistochemical prognostic biomarkers of cutaneous malignancies

Biomarkers are important tools in clinical diagnosis and prognostic classification of various cutaneous malignancies. Besides clinical and histopathological aspects (e.g. anatomic site and type of the primary tumour, tumour size and invasion depth, ulceration, vascular invasion), an increasing variety of molecular markers have been identified, providing the possibility of a more detailed diagnostic and prognostic subgrouping of tumour entities, up to even changing existing classification systems. Recently published gene expression or proteomic profiling data relate to new marker molecules involved in skin cancer pathogenesis, which may, after validation by suitable studies, represent future prognostic or predictive biomarkers in cutaneous malignancies. We, here, give an overview on currently known serologic and newer immunohistochemical biomarker molecules in the most common cutaneous malignancies, malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and cutaneous lymphoma, particularly emphasizing their prognostic and predictive significance