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In service of the goal of examining how cognitive science can facilitate human-computer interactions in complex systems, we explore how cognitive psychology research might help educators better utilize artificial intelligence and AI supported tools as facilitatory to learning, rather than see these emerging technologies as a threat. We also aim to provide historical perspective, both on how automation and technology has generated unnecessary apprehension over time, and how generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT are a product of the discipline of cognitive science. We introduce a model for how higher education instruction can adapt to the age of AI by fully capitalizing on the role that metacognition knowledge and skills play in determining learning effectiveness. Finally, we urge educators to consider how AI can be seen as a critical collaborator to be utilized in our efforts to educate around the critical workforce skills of effective communication and collaboration.

Objective: To summarize the prevalence of Long COVID symptoms among the general population reported in published articles from the pre-omicron SARS-CoV2 era. This narrative review examined 21 symptoms. Methods: A PubMed/manual search returned 114 articles on general Long COVID symptoms. Manuscripts were excluded if they were not research studies, did not report symptom prevalence, or used a pediatric population. Ninety-eight studies were selected for review and fifty-nine met the criteria for inclusion. The risk of bias was assessed with the Hoy critical appraisal tool. Results: After excluding studies with a high risk of bias, meta-analysis of prevalence for 21 symptom categories ranged from 2.6–28.7% in studies based on surveys to 0.3–7.1% in studies based on electronic health record data. Conclusions: Long COVID symptom studies are limited by the variability in study design and representation of the general population. Further research is needed to effectively cluster symptoms in meaningful ways that enable focused treatment.

This exploratory, descriptive study sought to determine the perceptions of special education (SPED) directors and their respective SPED teachers regarding self-efficacy in meeting the diverse needs of students who have English learning challenges and have been identified as having special learning needs. Also, general information regarding the various programs used and ideas concerning the work and interventions with English learners (Els) who receive SPED services were reviewed for possible discussion. Researchers utilised content analysis procedures to review and code the narrative responses from 24 SPED educators and 3 SPED directors. Peer-debriefing sessions occurred and allowed researchers to collapse categories and form themes from the narrative responses. Two themes derived from SPED teachers' responses and one theme from SPED directors' responses. Theme 1 (T1): SPED Teachers Valued Research-Based Practices, and Theme 2 (T2): SPED Teachers Expressed Frustration or Lack of Knowledge with the District's ELs Curricular Program's Connection with SPED Services. Researchers determined one viable theme, after two debriefing sessions, from SPED directors' responses, Theme 3 (T3): SPED Directors Providing Outsourced Training Resources to Special Educators was a Source of Self-Efficacy. Researchers concluded more communication and the sharing of research-based instructional resources and coordinating cross curricular trainings were needed.

Attrition rates among school leaders have risen in recent years, and scholars cite a lack of meaningful connections and responsive professional learning as leading reasons why they are leaving the field. School leaders are called to navigate unfamiliar and complex challenges, often working in isolation with limited opportunities for collaboration and professional growth. Social media forums, like Twitter, have potential to support a Community of Practice to facilitate learning around school leadership; however, there is a lack of scholarship exploring how school leaders use social media to support their needs. This mixed-methods study used sentiment and content analysis along with a phronetic iterative approach to explore how school leaders use Twitter to connect with others in the field. The umbrella categories of efficacy, agency, and resiliency emerged from the analysis, offering a glimpse into potential connections made through social media. The findings of this exploratory study suggest that principals are seeking connection, encouragement, and professional learning, yet further development in this area could help inform more formal practices to fill the gap in access to informal professional learning.

Abstract As of 2023, the use of prescribed fire to manage ecosystems accounts for more than 50% of area burned annually across the United States. Prescribed fire is carried out when meteorological conditions, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed are appropriate for its safe and effective application. However, changes in these meteorological variables associated with future climate change may impact future opportunities to conduct prescribed fire. In this study, we combine climate projections with information on prescribed burning windows for ecoregions across the contiguous United States (CONUS) to compute the number of days when meteorological conditions allow for the safe and effective application of prescribed fire under present-day (2006–2015) and future climate (2051–2060) conditions. The resulting projections, which cover 57% of all vegetated area across the CONUS, indicate fewer days with conditions suitable for prescribed burning across ecoregions of the eastern United States due to rising maximum daily temperatures, but opportunities increase in the northern and northwestern United States, driven primarily by rising minimum temperatures and declining wind speeds.

Abstract Hydrocephalus (HC) is a heterogenous disease characterized by alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics that may cause increased intracranial pressure. HC is a component of a wide array of genetic syndromes as well as a secondary consequence of brain injury (intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), infection, etc.) that can present across the age spectrum, highlighting the phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease. Surgical treatments include ventricular shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomy with or without choroid plexus cauterization, both of which are prone to failure, and no effective pharmacologic treatments for HC have been developed. Thus, there is an urgent need to understand the genetic architecture and molecular pathogenesis of HC. Without this knowledge, the development of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures is impeded. However, the genetics of HC is extraordinarily complex, based on studies of varying size, scope, and rigor. This review serves to provide a comprehensive overview of genes, pathways, mechanisms, and global impact of genetics contributing to all etiologies of HC in humans.

Recent emphasis on market-based mechanisms as the key to solving sustainability challenges has left scholars and activists wringing their hands. This frustration and sense of urgency has been particularly poignant in the issues surrounding food production and land-use change. While creative approaches to promoting sustainable land-uses have abounded, intensive agricultural systems persist as a major cause of biodiversity loss. Mounting evidence indicates that a business-as-usual approach to encouraging sustainable food production rests on erroneous assumptions about human value systems and their link to food and land, often resulting in perverse and/or inadequate outcomes. The relational turn arrives onto this scene, revisiting central questions about how values inform action and how policy can leverage values for more sustainable and equitable solutions. We contribute to this discussion through sharing case studies of grassroots sustainable agricultural movements in Latin America. In each, we explore how relational values are linked to transformative action, and how this intersects with or challenges relevant institutions and political structures. Through this analysis, we illustrate the presence of the relational turn within these movements, while questioning whether existing institutions are prepared to embrace a relational approach to policy and norms. Instead, we suggest that the relational turn calls for a more radical transformation of existing institutions than that embraced by most policy makers, and that this central challenge will persist in any attempt to scale up sustainable ‘local’ movements to affect global change.

Abstract The OPRM1 gene codes for the mu opioid receptor (MOR) and polymorphisms are associated with complex patient clinical responses. The most studied single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in OPRM1 is adenine (A) substituted by guanine (G) at position 118 (118A>G, rs1799971) leading to a substitution of asparagine (Asn) for aspartic acid (Asp) at position 40 in the N terminus of the resulting protein. To date, no structural explanation for the associated clinical responses resulting from the 118A>G polymorphism has been proposed. We utilized computational modeling paired with functional cellular assays to predict unstructured N‐ and C‐terminal regions of MOR‐1. Using molecular docking and post‐docking energy minimizations with morphine, we show that the extracellular substitution of Asn at position 40 alters the cytoplasmic C‐terminal conformation, while leaving the G‐protein binding interface unaffected. A real‐time BRET assay measuring G‐protein and β‐arrestin association with MOR r generated data that tested this prediction. Consistent with this in silico prediction, we show changes in morphine‐mediated β‐arrestin association with receptor variants with little change in morphine‐mediated G‐protein association comparing MOR‐1 wild type (WT) to MOR‐1118A>G. We tested the system with different opioid agonists, the OPRM1 118A>G SNP, and different MOR splice variants (MOR‐1 and MOR‐1O). These results are consistent with the observation that patients with the 118A>G OPRM1 allele respond more readily to fentanyl than to morphine. In conclusion, the 118A>G substitution alters receptor responses to opioids through variable C‐terminal domain movements that are agonist and splice variant dependent.

The Devonian-Carboniferous (D-C; 359 Ma) boundary is marked by widespread deposition of organic-matter-rich black shales associated with the Hangenberg mass extinction event. The Exshaw Formation spans the D-C boundary in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) and includes the basal Exshaw Shale deposited under broadly anoxic waters. The sediments at the base of the Exshaw Shale were deposited synchronously during a transgressive event across the WCSB, spanning the geographic variability of the basin. The variable Corg content of the shale was affected by local nutrient upwelling and paleotectonic features impacting water depth and circulation. To characterize the link between paleogeography and nutrient cycling, geographic (N = 20 locations) and stratigraphic (N = 6 locations) trends of δ13Corg and δ15Nbulk were examined throughout the WCSB, representing a range of depositional settings. The δ15Nbulk values range between 0.0 and 6.3‰ and δ13Corg from −29.5 to −26.8‰. Phytoplankton production in focused upwelling zones acquired a relatively 15N-depleted signature through isotopic fractionation during nutrient assimilation, and the residual nutrient pool was 15N-enriched. The advection of surface waters away from the location of upwelling supported additional phytoplankton growth and the deposition of sediments with higher δ15N values. The stratigraphic sections include black laminated and burrowed mudrock sequences that record changes in paleoredox conditions, water depth, and tectonism over time. Up-core from the base of the Exshaw, the Corg content decreases and simultaneously δ15Nbulk increases, suggesting a decrease in eutrophic conditions. Variable δ13Corg and δ15Nbulk trends demonstrate that there is no “type” isotopic profile spanning the D-C boundary in the WCSB.

Introduction: There remains a paucity of literature examining the decision algorithm for use of nasoseptal flap (NSF) after endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEA) to pituitary adenoma resection. In 2018, we published the first ever flap risk score (FRS) to predict the use of NSF. We present here a validity study examining the FRS as applied to our center. Methods: A retrospective review was completed of consecutive patients undergoing EEA from January 2015 to March 2021. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the FRS were calculated. A multivariate logistic model was used to determine the relative weight imaging characteristics in predicting need for NSF. The relative weighting of the FRS was then re-optimized. Results: A total of 376 patients underwent EEA for pituitary adenoma resection, with 113 (30.1%) requiring NSF. The FRS had a sensitivity and specificity of 43.4% and 94.7%, respectively. Sphenoid sinus extension increased the odds of needing a NSF equivalent to 19 mm of tumor height, as opposed to 6 mm in the original 2018 cohort. The re-optimized model had sensitivity and specificity of 79.6% and 76.4%, respectively. Conclusion: We present a validity study examining the utility of FRS in predicting the use of NSF after EEA for pituitary adenoma resection. Our results show that while FRS is still predictive of the need for NSF after EEA, it is not as predictive now as it was for its original cohort. Therefore, a more comprehensive model is necessary to more accurately stratify patients’ preoperative risk for NSF.

The discovery of novel probiotic bacteria from free-ranging animals for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in domestic pets is a unique approach. The chloroform extraction of gastrointestinal (GI) tract material was used to inactivate vegetative cells and select for spore-forming bacteria. A bacterium identified as a novel Paenibacillus sp. strain via small ribosomal RNA (16S) gene sequencing was isolated from the GI tract of a gray wolf (Canis lupus). The bacterium was typed as Gram-variable, both catalase/oxidase-positive and positive via starch hydrolysis and lipase assays. The bacterium inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Micrococcus luteus. The draft whole genome sequence (WGS) assembly was 7,034,206 bp in length, encoding 6543 genes, and is similar in size and coding capacity to other closely related Paenibacillus spp. The isolate’s genome encodes several germination and sporulation gene products along with antimicrobials such as a bacteriocin system and chitinase. Enzyme genes such as alpha amylase, cellulase, lipases and pectin lyase are also present in the genome. An incomplete lysogenic bacteriophage genome was also present in the isolate’s genome. Phenotypic characteristics combined with a WGS genotype analysis indicate that this bacterium, designated Paenibacillus sp. ClWae2A, could be a potential candidate probiotic for domestic dogs.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the Latin American subcontinent, particularly in areas with limited hospital resources and a restricted Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and factors associated with survival of COVID-19 hospitalized patients in Honduras. Research question: What were the characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in a large referral center in Honduras? Study design and methods: This study employed a retrospective cohort design conducted in a single center in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, between October 2020 to March 2021. All hospitalized cases of confirmed COVID-19 during this timeframe were included in the analysis. Univariable and multivariable survival analysis were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards model aiming to identify factors associated with decreased 30 day in-hospital survival, using a priori-selected factors. Results: A total of 929 confirmed cases were identified in this cohort, with males accounting for 55.4 % of cases. The case fatality rate among the hospitalized patients was found to be 50.1 % corresponding to 466 deaths. Patients with comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease had a higher likelihood of mortality. Additionally, non-survivors had a significantly longer time from illness onset to hospital admission compared to survivors (8.2 days vs 4.7 days). Among the cohort, 306 patients (32.9 %) met criteria for ICU admission. However, due to limited capacity, only 60 patients (19·6 %) were admitted to the ICU. Importantly, patients that were unable to receive level-appropriate care had lower likelihood of survival compared to those who received level-appropriate care (hazard ratio: 1.84). Interpretation: This study represents, the largest investigation of in-hospital COVID-19 cases in Honduras and Central America. The findings highlight a substantial case fatality rate among hospitalized patients. In this study, patients who couldn't receive level-appropriate care (ICU admission) had a significantly lower likelihood of survival when compared to those who did. These results underscore the significant impact of healthcare access during the pandemic, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Studies indicate greenhouse gas emissions following permafrost thaw will amplify current rates of atmospheric warming, a process referred to as the permafrost carbon feedback. However, large uncertainties exist regarding the timing and magnitude of the permafrost carbon feedback, in part due to uncertainties associated with subsurface permafrost parameterization and structure. Development of robust parameter estimation methods for permafrost-rich soils is becoming urgent under accelerated warming of the Arctic. Improved parameterization of the subsurface properties in land system models would lead to improved predictions and a reduction of modeling uncertainty. In this work we set the groundwork for future parameter estimation (PE) studies by developing and evaluating a joint PE algorithm that estimates soil porosities and thermal conductivities from time series of soil temperature and moisture measurements and discrete in-time electrical resistivity measurements. The algorithm utilizes the Model-Independent Parameter Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis toolbox and coupled hydrological-thermal-geophysical modeling. We test the PE algorithm against synthetic data, providing a proof of concept for the approach. We use specified subsurface porosities and thermal conductivities and coupled models to set up a synthetic state, perturb the parameters, and then verify that our PE method is able to recover the parameters and synthetic state. To evaluate the accuracy and robustness of the approach we perform multiple tests for a perturbed set of initial starting parameter combinations. In addition, we varied types and quantities of data to better understand the optimal dataset needed to improve the PE method. The results of the PE tests suggest that using multiple types of data improve the overall robustness of the method. Our numerical experiments indicate that special care needs to be taken during the field experiment setup so that (1) the vertical distance between adjacent measurement sensors allows the signal variability in space to be resolved and (2) the longer time interval between resistivity snapshots allows signal variability in time to be resolved.

Estimating the incidence of infections caused by SARS-CoV-2 that are frequently asymptomatic is challenging when using routine passive surveillance methods. Antibodies can provide a record of previous infection, whether symptomatic [...]

Introduction: The extensive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to heightened concerns about mental health sequelae. There has been significant interest in identifying factors associated with psychosocial vulnerability or resilience. Aims: This study examined associations of trait gratitude with mental health difficulties among community residents in a southern state of the US. Methods: In this cross-sectional online investigation, 543 adults were assessed during an earlier phase of the pandemic, characterized by the reopening of facilities but mounting infection rates. Participants were evaluated using a validated measure of trait gratitude and clinically relevant screening assess-ments of depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms. Results: After adjusting for a range of pandemic-associated burdens and sociodemographic factors, multivariable analyses indicated that gratitude was significantly related to diminished levels of depres-sion, anxiety, and trauma. These effects remained significant after additional adjustment for other psychosocial resources (religiousness and perceived support). Conclusions: Findings provide novel information regarding relationships between gratitude and reduced mental health difficulties among community residents during a stressful period early in the pandemic. Results set the stage for longitudinal research. A disposition to identify and appreciate beneficial experiences might contribute to more favorable adaptation to communal crises, and warrants further investigation.

An international team of researchers finds high potential for improving climate projections by a more comprehensive treatment of largely ignored Arctic vegetation types, underscoring the importance of Arctic energy exchange measuring stations.

Given widespread use of spike antibody in generating coronavirus disease vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies are increasingly used to indicate previous infection in serologic surveys. However, longitudinal kinetics and seroreversion are poorly defined. We found substantial seroreversion of nucleocapsid total immunoglobulin, underscoring the need to account for seroreversion in seroepidemiologic studies.