Simultaneous Use Research Articles

Associations between day-level affect profiles and same-day substance use among young adults.

Emotions play a critical role in health risk behaviors, including substance use. However, current research often focuses exclusively on average levels of positive and negative affect, neglecting the complexity of daily emotional patterns. By capturing multiple dimensions of affect, including arousal and discrete states, we can improve our understanding of proximal predictors of substance use. The present study demonstrates the utility of a novel methodological approach for assessing affect patterns in daily life in relation to alcohol and cannabis use. Daily diary data from N = 154 young adults who reported recent heavy episodic drinking and simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis were analyzed using a mixed-indicator latent profile analysis to identify and describe day-level affective patterns and outcomes. Results revealed five distinct day-level profiles of affect: undifferentiated negative affect days, undifferentiated positive affect days, high-arousal positive affect days, mixed affect days, and low reactivity days. Undifferentiated positive affect days, high-arousal positive affect days, and low reactivity days were associated with significantly greater odds of same-day alcohol use compared to days characterized by undifferentiated negative affect (χ² = 10.55, p = .032). Findings suggest that daily affect patterns differentially impact alcohol use and can inform the development of interventions for problematic substance use. Additionally, the innovative methodological approach employed herein could be applicable for investigating the role of emotion in other health behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of Vermicompost and Nitrogen Fertilizer on the Growth and Production of Aloe Vera

Purpose: The effect of vermicompost and nitrogen fertilizers on the growth and production of Aloe vera were conducted using factorial based on Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD).
 Background: Vermicompost can be used in sustainable agriculture to support growing populations by increasing water holding capacity, nutrient supply, high porosity, adequate ventilation and drainage, and production of plant hormones that have beneficial effects on seed germination.
 Methods: According to the RCBD method, treatments were included: four levels of vermicompost (V0: Control, V1: 75, V2: 150 and V3: 200 g per pot) and four levels of nitrogen fertilizer (N0: control, N1: 500, N2: 1000, and N3: 1500 mg per pot) using urea.
 Results: The results showed that application of 150 g of vermicompost and 1000 mg of nitrogen had the highest effect on growth traits, and application of 200 g of vermicompost and 1500 mg of nitrogen had the greatest effect on sucker characteristics, so that the highest number of suckers was obtained by using 200 g of vermicompost and 1000 and 1500 mg of nitrogen. However, simultaneous application of 150 g of vermicompost and 1000 mg of nitrogen had the greatest effect on plant height, number of leaves, and leaf diameter, and treatment with 200 g of vermicompost and 1500 mg of nitrogen had the greatest effect on the number of suckers, stem weight, number of leaves, sucker height, total biomass and Aloin content.
 Conclusions: Therefore, simultaneous use of vermicompost and nitrogen fertilizer in Aloe vera cultivation plays an important role in the production and enhancement of sucker and plant yield.

Synergistic compatibilization effect on phase morphology evolution and properties of poly(ether-block-amide)/ethylene-vinyl acetate blends

We investigate the synergistic effect of ethylene-vinyl acetate grafted maleic anhydride (EVA-g-MAH) and styrene-ethylene-butene-styrene grafted maleic anhydride (SEBS-g-MAH) compatibilizers on the phase morphology evolution, thermal and mechanical properties of polyether-block-amide/ethylene-vinyl acetate (PEBA/EVA) blends. Phase morphology of PEBA/EVA blends shows that the size of dispersed phase decreases in the presence of either EVA-g-MAH or SEBS-g-MAH compatibilizer. The simultaneous use of these two compatibilizers further reduces the dispersed phase size, indicating the synergistic effect of compatibilization. Thermal behavior analysis of PEBA/EVA blends reveals that the crystallization temperature (Tc), the enthalpy of fusion (ΔHm) and the crystallinity of PEBA decrease, the melting point (Tm) remains relatively unchanged with increasing EVA content. Tc and ΔHm increase for PEBA/EVA blends in the presence of compatibilizer. The tensile strength and elongation at break of PEBA/EVA blends decrease first and then increase with increasing EVA content. The simultaneous addition of EVA-g-MAH and SEBS-g-MAH compatibilizers is efficient to significantly improve the mechanical properties of PEBA/EVA blends. For instance, the tensile strength increases from 5.7 to 11.4 MPa, and the elongation at break increases from 73.5% to 600.9% for PEBA/EVA (50/50) blend in the presence of dual compatibilizers compared to the uncompatibilized blend. Dynamic mechanical analysis and rheological behaviors demonstrate that the modulus and complex viscosity are higher in PEBA/EVA blends by the simultaneous addition of two compatibilizers compared with the blends in the presence of one compatibilizer, suggesting the enhancement of interfacial interactions between PEBA and EVA, and further confirming the synergistic effect of compatibilization.

Applying Human Factors and Systems Simulation Methods to Inform a Multimillion-Dollar Healthcare Decision.

This article describes a case study of a collaborative human factors (HF) and systems-focused simulation (SFS) project to evaluate potential patient and staff safety risks associated with a multimillion-dollar design and construction decision. The combined integration of HF and SFS methods in healthcare related to testing and informing the design of new environments and processes is underutilized. Few realize the effectiveness of this integration in healthcare to reduce risk and improve decision-making, safety, design, efficiency, patient experience, and outcomes. This project showcases how the combined use of HF and SFS methods can provide objective evidence to help inform decisions. The project was initiated by a healthcare executive team looking for an objective, user informed analysis of a current connector passageway between two existing buildings. The goal was to understand the implications of keeping the current route for simultaneous use for public and patients service flow versus building and financing a new passageway for separate flow and transport. An interprofessional team of intensive care unit professionals participated in two simulations designed to test the current connector. A failure mode and effects analysis and qualitative debrief feedback was used to evaluate risks and potential failures. The evaluation resulted in data that enabled informed executive decision making for the most effective, efficient, and safest option for public, staff, and patient transport between two buildings. This evaluation resulted in the decision to go forward with building a multimillion-dollar new connector passageway to improve integrated care and transport.

Uncovering the potential of MSC CT-350 for CO2/CH4 separation toward the optimization of a Pressure Swing Adsorption process for biogas upgrading

A laboratory-scale fixed-bed column is employed to study the dynamic behavior of the carbon molecular sieve MSC CT-350 for CO2/CH4 separation. Breakthrough adsorption tests in single-component systems are carried out at different pressures (1, 3, 5, 6.5 and 8 bar) and constant temperature (20 °C). Moreover, an additional test is conducted with a 40% CO2/60% CH4 binary mixture at 3 bar. Desorption tests are performed by varying the purge-to-feed ratio (P/F) at 50%, 30% and 20%, optionally using a vacuum pump. Experimental results show that MSC CT-350 has a good CO2 adsorption capacity for each pressure, considerably higher than CH4. In the binary test, very slight differences are experimentally found in the adsorption kinetics and equilibrium adsorption capacity with respect to single-compound tests, which results equal to 2.16 mol kg−1 for CO2 and 0.302 mol kg−1 for CH4 at 3 bar, compared with 2.29 mol kg−1 for CO2 and 0.262 mol kg−1 for CH4 for the single-compoound counterparts. The time required for a complete regeneration decreases with the increase in purge flowrate and with the simultaneous use of the vacuum pump. Finally, CO2 adsorption is a reversible process as the CO2 adsorption capacity of the adsorbent is not significantly reduced when utilized in subsequent adsorption-desorption cycles.

Mechanical and thermal behaviour of concrete with waste rubber and glass powder as fine aggregate and cement substitutes

One way of recycling waste materials such as tyres and glass is to use them in concrete. The effects of the simultaneous use of waste rubber particles (RPs) as a partial substitute for fine aggregate and glass powder (GP) as a partial substitute for cement on the workability and mechanical properties of concrete at ambient temperature and after exposure to high temperature (600°C) were investigated in this work. In total, 13 mixes were prepared. Except for the reference mix, all the other mixes contained a combination of RPs replacing fine aggregate at percentages of 5% or 10% by volume and GP replacing cement at percentages of 10%, 15% or 20%. Two different sizes of RPs were investigated (0.15–1 mm and 3–5 mm). Slump tests were carried out on the fresh concretes. Tests for compressive strength and tensile strength before and after thermal exposure, and tests for mass loss after exposure to elevated temperature were also carried out. To obtain an understanding of the behaviour of the waste materials in concrete, scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were conducted. In terms of compressive and tensile strengths, of all the mixes containing RPs and GP, the best results were for the mix with 5% RPs of 3–5 mm and 10% GP.

Assessment of photovoltaic generation penetration effect on the maximum loadability of the system

This paper proposed a method to investigate the effect of increasing PV penetration on the voltage stability of an IEEE 14-bus test system considering maximum PV penetration and system loadability limit. The critical bus of the test system has been decided based on nose curve analysis. The solar PV system is deployed with the most critical bus of the system. The effect of increasing PV penetration on the improvement in the loading capacity of various power system components like transmission lines, transmission line transformers, and generators is investigated over the adopted test system. Based on solar PV penetration up to 100 MW, the maximum loadability limit of the IEEE 14-bus test system increases, as shown by the results. Bus 14 is found to be the most severe bus of the test system using the continuation power flow (CPF) method. However, in some cases, overloading situations develop after a certain limit of PV penetration in the power system. In this condition, the overloading of the power system equipment is improved by the use of a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) at bus number 14, a double circuit line in the critical line (9–14), and Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC) in the most severe line (9–14) in the system. The maximum loadability of the system gets maximum enhanced from 4.0349 p.u. to 4.5602 p.u. under simultaneous use of solar PV generation, SSSC, and STATCOM at the most critical bus and in most severe line of the system. As evidence, the enhancement in maximum loadability of the system found using the proposed method has been also compared with the existing research. The maximum system loadability has been also enhanced under normal and (N-1) contingency conditions by the use of PV penetration in the system. PSAT/MATLAB software is used for simulation and maximum loadability has been investigated by continuation power flow (CPF) method.

Frequent and intense human-bat interactions occur in buildings of rural Kenya.

Simultaneous use of domestic spaces by humans and wildlife is little understood, despite global ubiquity, and can create an interface for human exposure to wildlife pathogens. Bats are a pervasive synanthropic taxon and are associated with several pathogens that can spill over and cause disease in humans. Urbanization has destroyed much natural bat habitat and, in response, many species increasingly use buildings as roosts. The purpose of this study was to characterize human interactions with bats in shared buildings to assess potential for human exposure to and spillover of bat-borne pathogens. We surveyed 102 people living and working in buildings used as bat roosts in Taita-Taveta county, Kenya between 2021 and 2023. We characterized and quantified the duration, intensity, and frequency of human-bat interactions occurring in this common domestic setting. Survey respondents reported living with bats in buildings year-round, with cohabitation occurring consistently for at least 10 years in 38% of cases. Human contact with bats occurred primarily through direct and indirect routes, including exposure to excrement (90% of respondents), and direct touching of bats (39% of respondents). Indirect contacts most often occurred daily, and direct contacts most often occurred yearly. Domestic animal consumption of bats was also reported (16% of respondents). We demonstrate that shared building use by bats and humans in rural Kenya leads to prolonged, frequent, and sometimes intense interactions between bats and humans, consistent with interfaces that can facilitate exposure to bat pathogens and subsequent spillover. Identifying and understanding the settings and practices that may lead to zoonotic pathogen spillover is of great global importance for developing countermeasures, and this study establishes bat roosts in buildings as such a setting.

Associations between simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis and cannabis-related problems in 2014–2016: evidence from the Washington panel survey

BackgroundTo address the research question of how simultaneous users of alcohol and cannabis differ from concurrent users in risk of cannabis use problems after the recreational marijuana legalization in Washington State.MethodsWe used generalized estimating equations with a Poisson distribution to analyze the association between simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana (SAM) and cannabis-related problems compared to concurrent use. The data is a longitudinal sample of drinkers and cannabis users (n = 257, 47% female) aged 18 years and older from Washington State in 2014–2016. We adjusted for survey weights to account for differential probability of selection and response rates. The primary outcome is the past-six-month CUDIT problem subscale (ranging from 0 to 28), which is the total score for seven CUDIT problem items, after excluding the three items that covered marijuana use frequency. Covariates include marijuana use frequency (daily/near daily use, regular use, or infrequent use), marijuana daily quantity, alcohol daily volume, panel survey cycle, medical marijuana recommendation, driving time to nearest marijuana outlet, age of marijuana use onset, and other demographics.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, we found that compared to concurrent use, SAM was significantly positively associated with CUDIT problem subscale (IRR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.25–2.27, p < 0.001); daily/near daily use of marijuana was strongly significantly associated with CUDIT problem subscale compared with infrequent use (IRR = 5.1, 2.71–9.57, p < 0.001) or regular use (IRR = 3.05, 1.91–4.85, p < 0.001). Secondary analyses using CUDIT total score as the outcome also showed a significant positive association with SAM compared to concurrent use (IRR = 1.17, 1.02–1.34, p < 0.05).ConclusionsThis study highlighted the importance of SAM, in addition to cannabis use frequency for predicting cannabis-related problems.

Low and high hydrogen peroxide concentrations of in-office dental bleaching associated with violet light: an in vitro study.

This study aims to assess hydrogen peroxide (HP) penetration within the pulp chamber, color change (CC), physical-chemical properties, and temperature using in-office different concentration bleaching gels with or without violet light. Fifty teeth were divided into five groups (n = 10) based on the HP concentration bleaching gels used (6% and 35%) and the used violet light (with or without). HP penetration within the pulp chamber was measured using UV-Vis. The CC was evaluated with a digital spectrophotometer. Initial and final concentration, and pH were measured through titration, and a Digital pHmeter, respectively. Temperature analyses were measured through a thermocouple. Statistical analysis included two-way ANOVA, Tukey's, and Dunnett's test(α = 0.05). The presence of violet light did not affect the amount of HP within the pulp chamber, or the CC (p > 0.05). Greater penetration of HP was observed within the pulp chamber, as well as CC when using 35% HP (p < 0.05). The final concentration of both gels was lower than the initial concentration, regardless of the use of violet light (p < 0.05). The initial and final pH levels remained neutral and stable (p > 0.05). The pulp temperature increased when the gels were used in conjunction with violet light (p < 0.05). Using violet light in conjunction with 6% or 35% HP does not alter the physical properties of the bleaching agents, the penetration of HP or enhance color change. However, an increase in temperature was observed when violet light was applied associated with bleaching gels. While the simultaneous use of violet light with hydrogen peroxide 6% or 35% does not alter the material's properties, it also does not bring benefits in reducing hydrogen peroxide penetration and improving color change. Furthermore, the use of violet light increases pulp temperature.

Urban food security and socioeconomic sustainability: A multidimensional perspective

This study examines urban household food security through the simultaneous use of two quantitative measures. A sample of 445 household data was analyzed. Using principal component analysis, the urbanicity index categorizes households by level of urbanization. About 39% of households had diverse diets (DD), and 75% spent above the required food expenditure plan (FEXP). The Food insecure (FIS) was in low urban category (LUC) on both measures, while the food secure ones were in middle urban category (MUC). Multinomial logit regression analysis shows that income and urbanicity index influenced the probability of a household being in any of the food security groups.

The Efficient Extraction of β-Carotene from Sea Buckthorn Berries Using a Novel Solvent, Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters, and a Combination of Ultrasound and Microwave

The move towards environmentally friendly processing has been a driving force for research into green methods for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials. In this study, a green and efficient process for the extraction of β-carotene from sea buckthorn berries through the simultaneous use of ultrasound and microwave, using a novel green solvent, fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), is described. For the same extraction time (45 min), the β-carotene content in the extract was significantly increased (according to ANOVA analysis—p &lt; 0.05) by the simultaneous use of ultrasound and microwave, compared with the separate use of these technologies—an increase of 15 and 89% compared with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), respectively. The resulting extract can be used directly, without further purification, as a food supplement because the solvent itself is safe for consumption. Furthermore, FAEE contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which add to the health benefits of the extract. When β-carotene is extracted from the plant matrix, it is subjected to degradation due to oxidation, but the addition of the antioxidant vitamin E (13 mg/mL of extract) to the extract extends its stability to more than 90 days at room temperature even when exposed to light. The addition of vitamin E also enhances the health benefits of the extract.

A Natural Flat Volumized Lips Filler Technique: Retrospective Analysis of 920 Patients.

Traditionally, hyaluronidase (HYAL) is used after hyaluronic acid (HA) injection to dissolve the undesired migration of product. To describe a novel lip augmentation technique that uses HA and HYAL simultaneously in patients who previously had HA migration. Nine hundred twenty female patients were included. In the first group ( n = 793), HA injections were performed in subcutaneous plane of the lips. In the second group who had previous product migration ( n = 127), 7.5 units of HYAL is injected in 4 points in ergotrid area before proceeding with HA injection. The medicis lip fullness scale scores after 2 weeks improved in all patients, while 92% of patients perceived the results as "very much improved" with Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale ( p ˂ .001). There was no difference between 2 groups regarding the patient satisfaction rates ( p ˃.05), while filler migration was seen in 0.2% ( n : 15) of patients in the first group during the follow-up period. The new vertical injection approach provided an increased vertical height, optimal eversion, and an incisor display on the lips. The simultaneous use of HYAL before HA injection seems to be a safe and effective practice in 1-stage treatment of the previously injected lips with filler migration into ergotrid area.

Multi-View Scene Classification Based on Feature Integration and Evidence Decision Fusion

Leveraging multi-view remote sensing images in scene classification tasks significantly enhances the precision of such classifications. This approach, however, poses challenges due to the simultaneous use of multi-view images, which often leads to a misalignment between the visual content and semantic labels, thus complicating the classification process. In addition, as the number of image viewpoints increases, the quality problem for remote sensing images further limits the effectiveness of multi-view image classification. Traditional scene classification methods predominantly employ SoftMax deep learning techniques, which lack the capability to assess the quality of remote sensing images or to provide explicit explanations for the network’s predictive outcomes. To address these issues, this paper introduces a novel end-to-end multi-view decision fusion network specifically designed for remote sensing scene classification. The network integrates information from multi-view remote sensing images under the guidance of image credibility and uncertainty, and when the multi-view image fusion process encounters conflicts, it greatly alleviates the conflicts and provides more reasonable and credible predictions for the multi-view scene classification results. Initially, multi-scale features are extracted from the multi-view images using convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Following this, an asymptotic adaptive feature fusion module (AAFFM) is constructed to gradually integrate these multi-scale features. An adaptive spatial fusion method is then applied to assign different spatial weights to the multi-scale feature maps, thereby significantly enhancing the model’s feature discrimination capability. Finally, an evidence decision fusion module (EDFM), utilizing evidence theory and the Dirichlet distribution, is developed. This module quantitatively assesses the uncertainty in the multi-perspective image classification process. Through the fusing of multi-perspective remote sensing image information in this module, a rational explanation for the prediction results is provided. The efficacy of the proposed method was validated through experiments conducted on the AiRound and CV-BrCT datasets. The results show that our method not only improves single-view scene classification results but also advances multi-view remote sensing scene classification results by accurately characterizing the scene and mitigating the conflicting nature of the fusion process.

PFKFB3 facilitates cell proliferation and migration in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma via the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Despite the involvement of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase3 (PFKFB3) in the proliferation and metastasis of diverse tumor types, its biological functions and related molecular mechanisms in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) remain largely unclear. Datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus, the Cancer Genome Atlas and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses were employed to measure the expression level of PFKFB3 in ATC. A series of assays were performed to analyze the role of PFKFB3 and its inhibitor KAN0438757 in ATC cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, Western blotting (WB), IHC and luciferase reporter assay were conducted to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the involvement of PFKFB3 and KAN0438757 in ATC. Additionally, we established a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in nude mice to evaluate the in vivo tumor growth. PFKFB3 exhibited a significant increase in its expression level in ATC tissues. The overexpression of PFKFB3 resulted in the stimulation of ATC cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, this overexpression was associated with the elevated expression levels of p-AKT (ser473), p-GSK3α/β (ser21/9), nuclear β-catenin, fibronectin1 (FN1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) and cyclin D1. It also promoted the nuclear translocation of β-catenin and the transcription of downstream molecules. Conversely, contrasting results were observed with the downregulation or KAN0438757-mediated inhibition of PFKFB3 in ATC cells. The selective AKT inhibitor MK2206 was noted to reverse the increased expression of p-AKT (ser473) and p-GSK3α/β (ser21/9) induced by PFKFB3 overexpression. The level of lactate was increased in PFKFB3-overexpressing ATC cells, while the presence of KAN0438757 inhibited lactate production. Moreover, the simultaneous use of PFKFB3 downregulation and KAN0438757 was found to suppress subcutaneous tumor growth in vivo. PFKFB3 can enhance ATC cell proliferation and migration via the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway and plays a crucial role in the regulation of aerobic glycolysis in ATC cells.

Deep-learning-based inverse design of colloidal quantum dots

Because optical properties of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) greatly depend on their layer thicknesses at the sub-nanometer scale, accurately predicting optical properties based on these structural parameters can help streamline the development process. However, most of traditional inverse design approaches require time-consuming numerical simulations and optimization processes. In this simulation-only paper, we propose a deep-learning-based inverse design model for colloidal InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs based on the structure parameters of layer thicknesses and optical properties of the emission and absorption spectrum. Four different deep neural network (DNN) structures are implemented and compared. A tandem DNN structure with the simultaneous use of both emission and absorption spectra as input data shows the best accuracy due to its ability to alleviate the non-uniqueness problem in the inverse design of colloidal QDs. Our inverse design model enables the prediction of layer thicknesses for QDs that exhibit on-demand optical emission/absorption spectra, which are particularly enhanced at the specific target wavelength region. Moreover, the weights and biases of the well-trained tandem DNN for InP/ZnSe/ZnS QDs can be transferred and tuned to implement a transfer-learning-assisted inverse design model for CdSe/ZnSe/ZnS QDs, where the amount of training data to achieve the average prediction accuracy of 99.3 % is reduced by a maximum of 71.4 %.

Simultaneous use of renewable energies and phase change materials to reduce energy consumption in Saudi buildings: Examine the photovoltaic cells

According to the Net Zero long-term plan, about 95% of the building's CO2 emissions should be declined by 2050 compared to 2020. In this study, focusing on “energy efficiency” and “renewables”- key pillars of the Net Zero plan-two techniques of adding photovoltaic cells (PVs) along with the loading of phase change material (PCM) to Saudi Arabian buildings were studied. In the first pillar, the installation of PV cells on all the horizontal/vertical envelopes was checked and it was found that in the same area, the electricity production on the roof is 136% more than the south-oriented vertical envelope and 1126% more than the north one. On the other hand, PVs on the roof reduce the cooling load by 5.8%, increase the heating load by 2.5%, and finally reduce the annual energy demand by 4.6% as a side effect. For the second pillar, PCM was installed in vertical/horizontal envelopes. As the thickness of PCM increases, annual energy consumption decreases, but at a lower rate. When the thickness of PCM reaches 15 cm, it is expected that it will have an energy savings of 9855 kWh/year, but the calculations exhibit a value of 4701 kWh, which demonstrates the fall in PCM effectiveness with thickness rise. The effect of PCM installation location had a very important effect. To reduce the cooling load, PCM should be installed in the outermost layer, and vice versa for the heating load, it should be installed in the innermost layer. When the annual analysis is prioritized, installing PCM in the outermost layer can perform better than the innermost layer up to 14.6%.

Teaching Abstract Algebra Concretely via Embodiment

ABSTRACT We describe how an instructor integrated embodiment to teach the Fundamental Homomorphism Theorem (FHT) and preliminary concepts in an undergraduate abstract algebra course. The instructor’s use of embodiment reduced levels of abstraction for formal definitions, theorems, and proofs. The instructor’s simultaneous use of various forms of embodiment primed students for the formalism and symbolism, highlighted and disambiguated students’ referents, amplified students’ contributions to develop conceptual fluency, and linked students’ body form catchments to motivate the FHT. Our results offer practical implications for teaching by illustrating examples of how embodiment can assist in making abstract concepts concrete.

Trace element levels: How Substance Use Disorder (SUD) contributes to the alteration of urinary essential and toxic element levels.

Increasing illicit drug use is one of the main problems in most countries or societies. Monitoring heavy metals and trace elements in this vulnerable group seems to be necessary. Therefore, we assessed the urinary trace element and toxic metals/metalloids concentrations (Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Nickel (Ni), and Mercury (Hg)) in opium, tramadol, and cannabis users compared to healthy subjects. In this cross-sectional study, patients with substance use disorder (SUD) (n = 74) were divided into four groups: cannabis, tramadol, opium, and mixed (simultaneous use of more than one of the three studied substances), along with a healthy group (n = 60). Urine samples were prepared by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method so that heavy metals/metalloids could be measured by ICP-MS. The mean urinary concentration of Cu (48.15 vs. 25.45; 89.2%, p<0.001), Hg (1.3 vs. 0.10; 1200%, p < 0.001), and Zn (301.95 vs. 210; 43.8%, p < 0.001) was markedly lower among patients with SUD. The mean urinary concentration of other elements including As (1.9 vs. 4.1; 115.8%), Cd (0.1 vs. 1.10; 1000%), Cr (6.80 vs. 11.65; 71.3%), Ni (2.95 vs. 4.95; 67.8%), and Pb (1.5 vs. 7.9; 426.6%) were significantly higher among patients with SUD compared to healthy subjects. When sub-groups were compared, no significant differences were observed between their trace element levels (Kruskal-Wallis test, p > 0.05). This can be an indication that regardless of the type of drug, the levels of trace elements are changed with respect to healthy individuals. Our results showed that illicit drug use causes changes in urinary trace element/heavy metal/metalloid levels and highlights the need for monitoring heavy metals and trace elements in individuals with substance use disorder. Assessment of different elements in biological samples of drug dependents may be useful for implementing new prevention and treatment protocols. In case of changes in their levels, complementary recommendations, attention to diet, and periodic assessment of toxic metal levels within treatment programs will be needed.

Frequency of same-day contraceptive initiation, recent unprotected intercourse, and pregnancy risk: a prospective cohort study of multiple contraceptive methods

BackgroundSame-day start removes barriers to contraceptive initiation and may reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy. Same-day start may be appropriate for all contraceptive methods, but we lack data comparing methods. ObjectivesTo assess the frequency of same-day initiation among six contraceptive methods selected for “same-day start” among new contraceptive users and describe the efficacy of same-day start first cycle pregnancy risk by all contraceptive methods and by each method. Study DesignUsing prospective data from the HER Salt Lake Contraceptive Initiative, we identified and assessed outcomes for participants initiating a new method of contraception beyond the first seven days of their menstrual cycle (same-day start). Enrolled participants at four family planning clinics in Salt Lake County, Utah between September 2015-March 2017 received their method of choice regardless of their cycle day or recent unprotected intercourse. All participants self-reported last menstrual period data and unprotected intercourse events in the previous 2 weeks. We excluded participants that received care immediately after or within two weeks of abortion care. Clinical electronic health records provided information on contraceptive method initiation and use of oral emergency contraception. Participants reported pregnancy outcomes in 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up surveys with clinic verification to identify any pregnancy resulting from same-day initiation. The primary outcomes report the frequency of same-day start use and first cycle pregnancy risk among same-day start users of all contraceptive methods. The secondary outcomes include frequency of and pregnancy risk in the first cycle of use among same-day start contraception users by method. We also report frequency of unprotected intercourse within 5 days and 6-14 days of contraception initiation, frequency of concomitant receipt of oral emergency contraception with initiation of ongoing contraception, and pregnancy risk with these exposures. We analyzed pregnancy risk by contraceptive method initiated same-day and assessed for simultaneous use of oral emergency contraception. ResultsOf the 3,568 individuals enrolled, we identified the majority as same-day start users (n=2,575/3,568, 72.2%), with one in eight of those reporting unprotected intercourse in the previous 5 days (n=322/2,575, 12.5%) and one in ten reporting unprotected intercourse 6-14 days prior to contraceptive method initiation (n=254/2,575, 9.9%). We identified 11 pregnancies among same-day start users (0.4%, 95% CI 0.2%-0.7%) compared to 1 (0.1%. 95% CI 0.002%-0.6%) among those who initiated contraception within seven days from the last menstral period. Users of oral hormonal contraception and vaginal hormonal methods reported the highest 1st cycle pregnancy rates (1.0 – 1.2%). Among same-day start users, 174 (6.8%) received oral emergency contraception at enrollment in conjunction with another method. Of the same-day user who received emergency contraception at initiation, 4 (2.3%) pregnancies were reported. Conclusion(s)Same-day start is common and associated with a low pregnancy risk. Using the “any method, any-time” approach better meets contraceptive clients’ needs and maintains a low risk of pregnancy.