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1. Exploring relationships between electrodermal activity, skin temperature, and performance during engineering exams

   M.T.H. Khan, P. Vicioso ( October 2019 , Proceedings Frontiers in Education Conference)

   null (Ed.)

   Students' academic learning, performance, and motivation are ongoing topics in engineering education. Those studies that have attempted to understand the mechanisms of motivation in authentic classroom settings and scenarios are few and limited to the methods used (e.g., self-reports, observations). This Work-in-Progress study explores the utility of electrodermal activity (EDA) and temperature sensors in accurately informing scholars about student performance during an exam in real-time. Correlations between each factor were analyzed. Initial results suggest that peripheral skin temperature has a weak, positive but significant correlation to exam question difficulty r=0.08; p<; 0.001). Also, electrodermal activity and temperature showed a weak, positive, but significant correlation (r=0.13; p<; 0.0010.05). The electrodermal activity showed a weak, positive, but significant correlation to exam question difficulty (r=0.16; p<; 0.0010.01). Also, skin temperature correlations with difficulty index (did not) changed across semesters (r=0.18; p<; 0.0010.001). We also developed a multiple regression model and found moderately significant relationships between EDA, difficulty index, and skin temperature (r=0.45; p<; 0.0010.05). The findings suggest that performance is tied to physiological responses among students during exam taking, indicating a possible connection between emotions and cognition via physiology. 

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2. Exploring relationships between electrodermal activity, skin temperature, and performance during engineering exams

   T. H. Khan, I. Villanueva ( October 2019 , Proceedings Frontiers in Education Conference)

   null (Ed.)

   Students' academic learning, performance, and motivation are ongoing topics in engineering education. Those studies that have attempted to understand the mechanisms of motivation in authentic classroom settings and scenarios are few and limited to the methods used (e.g., self-reports, observations). This Work-in-Progress study explores the utility of electrodermal activity (EDA) and temperature sensors in accurately informing scholars about student performance during an exam in real-time. Correlations between each factor were analyzed. Initial results suggest that peripheral skin temperature has a weak, positive but significant correlation to exam question difficulty r=0.08; p<; 0.001). Also, electrodermal activity and temperature showed a weak, positive, but significant correlation (r=0.13; p<; 0.0010.05). The electrodermal activity showed a weak, positive, but significant correlation to exam question difficulty (r=0.16; p<; 0.0010.01). Also, skin temperature correlations with difficulty index (did not) changed across semesters (r=0.18; p<; 0.0010.001). We also developed a multiple regression model and found moderately significant relationships between EDA, difficulty index, and skin temperature (r=0.45; p<; 0.0010.05). The findings suggest that performance is tied to physiological responses among students during exam taking, indicating a possible connection between emotions and cognition via physiology. 

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3. A phase 1 study of entinostat in children and adolescents with recurrent or refractory solid tumors, including CNS tumors: Trial ADVL1513, Pediatric Early Phase‐Clinical Trial Network (PEP‐CTN)

   https://doi.org/10.1002/pbc.28892  

   Bukowinski, Andrew ; Chang, Bill ; Reid, Joel M. ; Liu, Xiaowei ; Minard, Charles G. ; Trepel, Jane B. ; Lee, Min‐Jung ; Fox, Elizabeth ; Weigel, Brenda J. ( January 2021 , Pediatric Blood & Cancer)

   Entinostat is an oral small molecule inhibitor of class I histone deacetylases (HDAC), which has not previously been evaluated in pediatrics. We conducted a phase I trial to determine the maximum tolerated dose/recommended phase 2 dose (MTD/RP2D), toxicity profile, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of entinostat in children with relapsed or refractory solid tumors including central nervous system (CNS) malignancies.

   A rolling six dose escalation design evaluated two dose levels. Entinostat oral tablet formulation was administered once per week, four doses per 28‐day cycle. PK and PD studies were performed.

   Twenty‐one eligible patients’ median (range) age was 14 years (6‐20). Six subjects were treated at 3 mg/m²dose level and 15 were treated in 4 mg/m²dose level. The study included patients with CNS tumors (n = 12), sarcomas (n = 6), or other solid tumors (n = 3). Eight patients were not fully evaluable for toxicity due to progression of disease prior to receiving the required percentage of protocol therapy. No cycle one dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT) was observed at either dose level. A three‐fold higher area under the curve (AUC) was achieved in our cohort compared to adults using a similar dosing schedule. The PD studies showed increase in acetylated lysine in peripheral blood leukocytes at both doses.

   Entinostat was well tolerated with no DLT observed. All patients experienced progression within the first two cycles, except one patient with ependymoma with stable disease. Based on PK and PD, the R2PD in pediatric patients with solid tumors is 4 mg/m²orally administered once weekly.

    

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4. Clinical predictors of cystic fibrosis chronic rhinosinusitis severity

   https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.22332  

   Zemke, Anna C. ; Nouraie, Seyed Mehdi ; Moore, John ; Gaston, Jordan R. ; Rowan, Nicholas R. ; Pilewski, Joseph M. ; Bomberger, Jennifer M. ; Lee, Stella E. ( June 2019 , International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology)

   Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a significant manifestation of cystic fibrosis (CF) with wide‐ranging symptom and disease severity. The goal of the study was to determine clinical variables that correlate with outcome measures of disease severity.

   A prospective, longitudinal, observational study of 33 adults with symptomatic CRS treated in a CF‐focused otolaryngology clinic was performed. Symptom severity, the presence of rhinosinusitis exacerbations, and endoscopic appearance were assessed, and regression analysis was used to determine clinical predictors of disease outcome.

   Thirty‐three adults with CF‐CRS were included in the study and followed for a mean of 15 months. Rhinosinusitis exacerbations occurred in 61% of participants during the study, and female sex increased the odds of presenting with an exacerbation visit. Sinus disease exacerbations were associated with an odds ratio of 2.07 for presenting with a pulmonary exacerbation at the next visit. CF‐related diabetes was found to be associated with worse symptoms and endoscopic appearance. Infection withStaphylococcus aureuspredicted worsening of symptoms, whereas infections withPseudomonas aeruginosaimproved over time. Allergic rhinitis was associated with worse endoscopic appearance, and nasal steroid use was associated with improved endoscopic appearance.

   Sex, CF‐related diabetes, sinonasal infection status, allergic rhinitis, and nasal steroid use may all modulate severity of CF‐CRS in adults. Sinusitis exacerbation may be a precursor to pulmonary exacerbation.

    

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5. Atypical neural encoding of faces in individuals with autism spectrum disorder

   https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhae060  

   Wang, Yue ; Cao, Runnan ; Chakravarthula, Puneeth N ; Yu, Hongbo ; Wang, Shuo ( May 2024 , Cerebral Cortex)

   Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience pervasive difficulties in processing social information from faces. However, the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying social trait judgments of faces in ASD remain largely unclear. Here, we comprehensively addressed this question by employing functional neuroimaging and parametrically generated faces that vary in facial trustworthiness and dominance. Behaviorally, participants with ASD exhibited reduced specificity but increased inter-rater variability in social trait judgments. Neurally, participants with ASD showed hypo-activation across broad face-processing areas. Multivariate analysis based on trial-by-trial face responses could discriminate participant groups in the majority of the face-processing areas. Encoding social traits in ASD engaged vastly different face-processing areas compared to controls, and encoding different social traits engaged different brain areas. Interestingly, the idiosyncratic brain areas encoding social traits in ASD were still flexible and context-dependent, similar to neurotypicals. Additionally, participants with ASD also showed an altered encoding of facial saliency features in the eyes and mouth. Together, our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social trait judgments in ASD.

    

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