Exploring the Potential of Large Language Models in Generating Code-Tracing Questions for Introductory Programming Courses

In this paper, we explore the application of large language models (LLMs) for generating code-tracing questions in introductory programming courses. We designed targeted prompts for GPT4, guiding it to generate code-tracing questions based on code snippets and descriptions. We established a set of human evaluation metrics to assess the quality of questions produced by the model compared to those created by human experts. Our analysis provides insights into the capabilities and potential of LLMs in generating diverse code-tracing questions. Additionally, we present a unique dataset of human and LLM-generated tracing questions, serving as a valuable resource for both the education and NLP research communities. This work contributes to the ongoing dialogue on the potential uses of LLMs in educational settings.Comment: Accepted by Findings of EMNLP, 202

ZEB1 Is a Transcription Factor That Is Prognostic and Predictive in Diffuse Gliomas

Objective: To address the unmet medical need to better prognosticate patients with diffuse gliomas and to predict responses to chemotherapy regimens.Methods: ZEB1 alterations were retrospectively identified from a cohort of 1,160 diffuse glioma patients. Epigenome-wide association scans (EWAS) were performed on available data. We determined the utility of ZEB1 as a prognostic indicator of patient survival in diffuse gliomas and assessed the value of ZEB1 to predict the efficacy of treating diffuse glioma patients with procarbazine, CCNU, and vincristine along with radiation at diagnosis. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to determine if ZEB1 added benefit to clinical decision-making over and above conventional methods.Results: Fifteen percent of diffuse glioma patients had a ZEB1 deletion. ZEB1 deletion was associated with poor overall survival (OS) with and without adjustment for age and tumor grade (adjusted HR: 4.25; 95% CI: 2.35 to 7.66; P < 0.001). Decision curve analysis confirmed that ZEB1 status with or without IDH1 was more beneficial to clinical decision making than conventional information such as age and tumor grade. We showed that ZEB1 regulates TERT expression, and patients with ZEB1 deletions likely subsume patients with mutant TERT expression in diffuse gliomas. ZEB1 influenced clinical decision making to initiate procarbazine, CCNU, and vincristine treatment.Conclusion: We demonstrate the prognostic value of ZEB1 in diffuse glioma patients. We further determine ZEB1 to be a vital and influential molecular marker in clinical decisions that exceed conventional methods regarding whether to treat or not treat patients with diffuse glioma

hHSS1: a novel secreted factor and suppressor of glioma growth located at chromosome 19q13.33

The completion of the Human Genome Project resulted in discovery of many unknown novel genes. This feat paved the way for the future development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of human disease based on novel biological functions and pathways. Towards this aim, we undertook a bioinformatics analysis of in-house microarray data derived from purified hematopoietic stem cell populations. This effort led to the discovery of HSS1 (Hematopoietic Signal peptide-containing Secreted 1) and its splice variant HSM1 (Hematopoietic Signal peptide-containing Membrane domain-containing 1). HSS1 gene is evolutionarily conserved across species, phyla and even kingdoms, including mammals, invertebrates and plants. Structural analysis showed no homology between HSS1 and known proteins or known protein domains, indicating that it was a truly novel protein. Interestingly, the human HSS1 (hHSS1) gene is located at chromosome 19q13.33, a genomic region implicated in various cancers, including malignant glioma. Stable expression of hHSS1 in glioma-derived A172 and U87 cell lines greatly reduced their proliferation rates compared to mock-transfected cells. hHSS1 expression significantly affected the malignant phenotype of U87 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Further, preliminary immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increase in hHSS1/HSM1 immunoreactivity in two out of four high-grade astrocytomas (glioblastoma multiforme, WHO IV) as compared to low expression in all four low-grade diffuse astrocytomas (WHO grade II). High-expression of hHSS1 in high-grade gliomas was further supported by microarray data, which indicated that mesenchymal subclass gliomas exclusively up-regulated hHSS1. Our data reveal that HSS1 is a truly novel protein defining a new class of secreted factors, and that it may have an important role in cancer, particularly glioma

Very long-term survival of an older glioblastoma patient after treatment with cilengitide: a case report

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain tumor. Less than 1% of patients survive longer than 10 years. A 77-year-old woman was diagnosed with MGMT-methylated GBM in 2009. The patient received cilengitide as part of the CENTRIC clinical trial in conjunction with standard radiation and chemotherapy. Though the study was halted in 2013, our patient received cilengitide until 2016 with no radiographic evidence of recurrence thus far. This is the oldest reported GBM patient with greater than 10-year survival. Her exceptional response may have been influenced by MGMT promoter methylation status and PTEN expression

Long-term survival after salvage pemetrexed for refractory primary T-cell lymphoma of the CNS.

Primary T-cell CNS lymphoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy. High-dose methotrexate (MTX) based chemotherapy regimens are used as standard first-line treatment, followed by consolidative strategies to improve the duration of response. Although MTX-based therapy has been shown to be efficacious, treatment options for MTX-refractory disease are not well-defined. Here, we report a case of a 38-year-old man with refractory primary T-cell CNS lymphoma who demonstrated a complete response to pemetrexed treatment. He subsequently received conditioning chemotherapy consisting of thiotepa, busulfan and cyclophosphamide followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. The patient continues to remain recurrence-free to date at 9 years post-treatment

Long-term survival after salvage pemetrexed for refractory primary T-cell lymphoma of the CNS

Primary T-cell CNS lymphoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy. High-dose methotrexate (MTX) based chemotherapy regimens are used as standard first-line treatment, followed by consolidative strategies to improve the duration of response. Although MTX-based therapy has been shown to be efficacious, treatment options for MTX-refractory disease are not well-defined. Here, we report a case of a 38-year-old man with refractory primary T-cell CNS lymphoma who demonstrated a complete response to pemetrexed treatment. He subsequently received conditioning chemotherapy consisting of thiotepa, busulfan and cyclophosphamide followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. The patient continues to remain recurrence-free to date at 9 years post-treatment

Transcriptomic Profiling of Human Peritumoral Neocortex Tissues Revealed Genes Possibly Involved in Tumor-Induced Epilepsy

<div><p>The molecular mechanism underlying tumor-induced epileptogenesis is poorly understood. Alterations in the peritumoral microenvironment are believed to play a significant role in inducing epileptogenesis. We hypothesize that the change of gene expression in brain peritumoral tissues may contribute to the increased neuronal excitability and epileptogenesis. To identify the genes possibly involved in tumor-induced epilepsy, a genome-wide gene expression profiling was conducted using Affymetrix HG U133 plus 2.0 arrays and RNAs derived from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) peritumoral cortex tissue slides from 5-seizure vs. 5-non-seizure low grade brain tumor patients. We identified many differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Seven dysregulated genes (i.e., <em>C1QB</em>, <em>CALCRL</em>, <em>CCR1</em>, <em>KAL1</em>, <em>SLC1A2</em>, <em>SSTR1</em> and <em>TYRO3</em>) were validated by qRT-PCR, which showed a high concordance. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed that epilepsy subjects were clustered together tightly (except one sample) and were clearly separated from the non-epilepsy subjects. Molecular functional categorization showed that significant portions of the DEGs functioned as receptor activity, molecular binding including enzyme binding and transcription factor binding. Pathway analysis showed these DEGs were mainly enriched in focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, and cell adhesion molecules pathways. In conclusion, our study showed that dysregulation of gene expression in the peritumoral tissues may be one of the major mechanisms of brain tumor induced-epilepsy. However, due to the small sample size of the present study, further validation study is needed. A deeper characterization on the dysregulated genes involved in brain tumor-induced epilepsy may shed some light on the management of epilepsy due to brain tumors.</p> </div

A Rare Case: Adrenal Corticomedullary Mixed Tumor With Elements of Pheochromocytoma, Cortical Adenoma, and Ganglioneuroma Cells

Background/Objective: Adrenal corticomedullary mixed tumor (CMMT) are extremely rare single adrenal tumor masses containing a mixture of adrenal cortical adenoma and pheochromocytoma cells. Case Report: A 52-year-old woman presented with clinical and biochemical evidence of cortisol and catecholamine excess and was found to have an adrenal CMMT with intermixed chromaffin, cortical adenoma, and ganglioneuroma components. She underwent a successful unilateral adrenalectomy with subsequent improvement in her symptoms. Discussion: We report the first case of a patient with a CMMT that had symptoms of both catecholamine and cortisol excess from her tumor. Typically, patients with similar tumors have signs of cortisol excess; however, the pheochromocytoma portion is clinically silent. Although most CMMT contain 2 distinct cell types, this is the third ever described case of a single adrenal CMMT containing 3 unique cellular components: (1) intermixed chromaffin, (2) cortical adenoma, and (3) ganglioneuroma cells. Conclusion: Our understanding of these rare tumors is limited, and this case serves to broaden our knowledge about their clinical, biochemical, and pathologic features